USA > Maine > Oxford County > Bethel > History of Bethel : formerly Sudbury, Canada, Oxford County, Maine, 1768-1890, with a brief sketch of Hanover and family statistics > Part 19
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HISTORY OF BETHIEL.
made an effort to popularize the water of these springs. He gave them the name of Anasagunticook, gave Ellingwood's mountain the same name, built a house, which was dedicated July fourth, eigh- teen hundred and fifty-nine, and christened it the same, enlarged it and laid out a large sum of money, but all to little purpose. The war broke out soon after and he enlisted, remained in the south after the war was over, held official positions and suffered many hardships ; was taken sick, came to Bethel and died, and his dust mingles with that of his native town. The water of one of these springs no doubt possesses healing qualities, it being a chalybeate and operating as a mild tonic. The other throws up simply pure, cold water, and with great force, and as a beverage is decidedly prefera- ble. If it is desired the trip may be extended through a fine farm- ing region to West Bethel, where the river may be crossed at the Ferry, and the return trip be made over Robertson's Hill.
A ride from Bethel Hill to Mount Abram, in Greenwood, is worth the while. The route may be made over Paradise Hill, through the Irish neighborhood, or by way of Locke's Mills. If by the former, fine forest views may be seen on the way. Howe Hill is reached with a carriage, but from this point the ascent must be made on foot. The view from the summit is very fine. In the vicinity is a cave where ice remains all the year round, and parties have fre- quently enjoyed the luxury of an iced drink here in midsummer. By the side of Twitchell pond, (named for Captain Eleazer Twitch- ell,) toward Greenwood city, is an overhanging cliff several hun- dreds of feet high, the road passing between the base of the cliff and the pond. These places are not in Bethel, but the road which leads to them is, for much of the way. The Boston artist, Griggs, once painted this cliff and pond with marked effect, and his work was much admired. A pleasant and attractive trip is up Sunday river. The bridge is crossed, pretty Mayville passed, the farms where Deacon Ezra and Captain Eli Twitchell made clearings and built homes, the Locke place known as "Maple Grove" is reached, and then we are on Sunday river. The intervale and river views along the route thus far, are most charming. The only sign of de- cay is the Merrill house which must soon succumb to the ravages of time .* Across the river at one point, the Sanborn farm shows beau- tifully, like another garden of Eden. The road up Sunday river. alternating with farming land and forest, extends through Newry
*The old ruin has been removed.
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HISTORY OF BETHEL.
to Riley, once called Ketchum. At every point we seem to be sur- rounded by impassible mountains, and wonder how we are to get through, but the road winds among them and is very level through the entire distance of ten miles. There is fine trout fishing in Riley and beyond, and game, including deer is very plenty.
The Albany basins or kettles are within two hours ride of Bethel, on the North Waterford road, and are visited by large numbers of people. The road is quite level and somewhat monotonous. It passes along by the side of Songo pond, and a considerable part of the way is bordered by bushes or woods. The basins or kettles are depressions worn into the solid rock by the action of water, perfect- ly formed and some of them of great size. One is twenty-eight feet in diameter, about fifty feet deep. There are at least thirteen of these basins, but they are not uniform in shape, and some of them are quite imperfect. There must have been a time when the volume of water was much greater than now, to bore these immense wells. Similar basins, but on a much smaller scale, may be seen at Chapman's mill above Mayville, and shows the effects of long con- tinued action of water upon the solid rock.
A delightful trip is down the Androscoggin to Newry Corner, and up Bear river to Grafton notch. Leaving the Sunday river road at Hastings Corner and crossing Sunday river by the covered bridge near its mouth, we pass the Ebenezer Eames place ; the farm once occupied by Peter York and later by Leander Jewett, then on by where the Smiths lived, we cross Bear river near where it flows into the Androscoggin and are in Newry. Bear river is bordered by fine farms, but back of these is the forest primeval. Except on the two rivers the town is mountainous, and for the most part still covered with wood and timber. At the head of the tide is the Poplar tav- ern, and a little farther on is the site of Dr. Joshua Fanning's lum- ber mill and Screw Augur Falls. Here is a tortuous channel cut down through the solid rock to a depth of about fifty feet through which the river flows. It is a curious piece of nature's work and a . view of it well repays a visit. Half a mile above is a singular pas- sageway in the river known as the jail. A little farther up is the Grafton pass or notch. On the easterly side of it is Saddleback, and on the westerly, Old Spec, properly Lincoln Peak. The moun- tain scenery here is among the boldest in the State, and in the notch is the head water of Bear river which flows southwardly into the Androscoggin, and of the Cambridge which flows northwardly into Umbagog lake.
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HISTORY OF BETHEL.
We have now passed over most of the roads in town and have taken note of the chief objects of interest by the way, but most of the views described thus far are circumscribed, and necessarily so, because the two parishes into which the town is divided are sepa- rated by mountains, and each is nearly surrounded by mountains. From Barker's mountain, which lies mostly in Newry, but its south- erly foothills in Bethel, the view is widely extended. This is the highest mountain in Oxford county and far above any of the moun- tains in Bethel. From the summit of this mountain the intervales can be seen from Gilead to Middle Interval, and the tortuous course of the river like a silver cord can be traced this whole dis- tance. The entire western parish is seen as upon a map, and every principal road and stream are visible to the unaided eye. The three principal villages, Bethel Hill, West Bethel and Middle Interval are in sight, while from our much greater height, Farewell mountain, Locke mountain and Sparrowhawk appear like mounds or hills of moderate size. From Bethel Hill this mountain seems to be con- nected with Ellingwood's mountain, sometimes called Anasagunti- cook, but there is a valley between them of several miles across. No pen picture can do justice to the vistas possible from the sum- mit of Barker's mountain ; they must be seen to be understood, and when seen they cannot fail of filling the observer with wonder and admiration. The mountain observatory is in Newry, but the charm- ing landscape views are in picturesque Bethel.
On the Middle Interval road a little more than a mile from Bethel Hill, was the residence of the late John Russell, Jr., and here his widow now resides. A few years ago this house was enlarged and improved and fitted up for summer guests. It was given the appro- priate name of Riverside cottage, and became a favorite resort of literary people. Lucy Larcom spent several of her summer vaca- tions here. There is a beautiful pine grove in the rear of the house with a summer house on its border, and near by is a precipitous cliff , known as "The Ledge." An easy path leads round to the top of this cliff, and from it a charming variety of landscape views are spread out. The fertile valley of the Androscoggin with the river meandering through ; the two villages of Bethel Hill and May- ville ; tasty farm buildings located here and there ; the neighboring mountains already described, and in the distance through the gorge formed by the river in its passage through Gilead and Shelburne, the lofty peaks of the White Hills. The display is essentially the
FROM SUNSET ROCK, LOOKING WESTWARD.
======
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HISTORY OF BETHEL.
same as that from Sunset Rock. It was in this enchanted spot that in the summer of eighteen hundred and seventy-nine, Lucy Larcom composed and wrote the following lines :
"ON THE LEDGE.
Restored unto life by the sun and the breeze ! Rich balsams float down from the resinous trees, Stirring into quick health every pulse of the air, Released once again from imprisoning care, At the gate of green pastures my soul lieth free, And to go in or out is refreshment to me.
Lo yonder is Paradise! Softly below, The river that watereth Eden doth flow ! I behold through blue gaps in the mountainous West, Height ascending on height, the abodes of the blest ; And I cannot tell whether to climb were more sweet Than to lap me in beauty spread out at my feet.
There sways a white cloud on yon loftiest peak ; A wind from beyond it is fanning my cheek ; Through the oak and the birch glides a musical shiver, A ripple just silvers the dusk of the river. Though I may not know how, each is a part of the whole Perfect flood-tide of peace that is brimming my soul.
Here is shelter and outlook, deep rest and wide room ; The pine woods behind breathing balm out of gloom ; Before, the great hills over vast levels lean- A glory of purple, a splendor of green. As a new earth and heaven, ye are mine once again, Ye beautiful meadows and mountains of Maine !"
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
CHAPTER XIX.
CHURCHES AND MINISTERS.
FIRST CHURCH, WEST PARISH.
HE inhabitants of the town early gave their attention to the establishment of Religious Institutions. Most of them were members of some church when they left their old homes, and by far the greater number of the church members be- longed to what was known as the standing order, or Congregational- ists. On account of the loss of the early records we have no infor- mation concerning the action of the town upon these matters, but it is quite probable that, as in other towns at that time, the people were taxed to support preaching of the standing order until they were emancipated from this obligation by an act of the General Court. Ministers frequently came among the settlers, gave them religious instruction and baptized their children, and among them Reverends Coffin, Taft and Fessenden. At a meeting held in the west parish September the eighth, seventeen hundred and ninety- six, an organization was effected, and the following year it was voted to raise one hundred and twenty dollars for the support of preaching the current year, and twenty dollars to defray expenses. In seventeen hundred and ninety-eight, Caleb Bradley came here, taught school for a few months and preached on the Sabbath. He was a candidate for settlement but was not engaged and finally set- tled in Westbrook where he had a long pastorate. In seventeen hundred and ninety-nine, Rev. Daniel Gould came, and he was also a candidate. There was a difference of opinion with regard to en- gaging him, but he was favored by a majority and was engaged. After Mr. Gould had preached as a candidate, the parish met and passed the following votes :
1. To give Rev. Daniel Gould a call to settle with them as their pastor.
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HISTORY OF BETHEL.
2. Voted to give Mr. Gould one hundred and eighty dollars the first year, as a salary, and to increase that sum ten dollars a year as long as he should remain with them as their pastor. One-third part was to be paid in money and the other two-thirds in produce from the farm.
3. Voted to give Rev. Daniel Gould the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars, to be paid in labor.
Chose Esquire Benjamin Russell, Mr. Amos Gage and Lieut. Ezra Twitchell a committee to treat with Mr. Gould on the above proposals.
A true copy. Attest : JOSEPH GREENWOOD, Parish Clerk.
Mr. Gould accepted these proposals requesting the Parish to fur- nish in addition, a few cords of wood.
Previous to installing Mr. Gould, the following persons were or- ganized into a church :
BETHEL, Oct. 7th, 1799.
Joseph Greenwood, James Grover, Ezra Twitchell, Zela Holt, Eleazer Twitchell, Asa Kimball, Benj. Russell, Sarah Greenwood, Susanna Twitchell, Mary Greenwood, Mary Russell.
Voted unanimously to give the Rev. D. Gould a call to settle and to take the pastoral charge of the church in this place.
At an ecclesiastical council convened at the house of Benj. Rus- sell, Esq., The Rev. Wm. Fessenden was chosen Moderator and the Rev. Nathan Church, Scribe.
1. Voted, That Mr. Daniel Gonld's confession of faith is satis- factory, and that nothing appears at present to prevent his installa- tion.
2. Upon the Rev. Mr. Gould's exhibiting his church standing, an account of his ordination as an evangelist, and after considering the opposition, unanimously proceed to the installation.
3. Voted to receive the Church in the West Parish in Bethel or- ganized by the Rev. Daniel Gould as a sister church.
This therefore is to certify that the Rev. Daniel Gould was this day settled over the church and people in said Parish. according to gospel order.
A true copy.
Attest : NATHAN CHURCH, Scribe.
BETHEL, Oct. 9th, 1799.
This day the Rev. Daniel Gould was admitted into the church and people of the West Parish in said Bethel. The Rev. Nathan
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HISTORY OF BETHEL.
Church of Bridgton made the introductory prayer. The Rev. Wm. Fessenden of Fryeburg, preached from Heb. xiii., 17. The Rev. Joseph Robey of Otisfield made the installing prayer and gave the charge.
The Rev. Nathan Church gave the right hand of fellowship and the Rev. Wm. Fessenden made the concluding prayer.
BETHEL, April 25th, 1800.
Lieut. Ezra Twitchell and Mr. James Grover were made Deacons.
Mr. Gould continued as pastor of the Church and Parish till eigh- teen hundred and nine, when it was thought advisable to dissolve the relationship existing between them. A council was called May third, eighteen hundred and nine, consisting of Rev. Nathaniel Por- ter, Nathan Church, Lincoln Ripley and Lieut. Robert Andrews, Dea. Stephen Jewett, Dea. Ephraim Chamberlain, and decided to that effect, which was adopted by the Church, May seventh, eigh- teen hundred and nine.
From eighteen hundred and nine to eighteen hundred and nine- teen, the church was without a pastor. Money was raised every year, and the people supplied with preaching a portion of the time. Among these were Rev. Valentine Little and Rev. Timothy Hilliard. In eighteen hundred and seventeen there was quite an addition to their numbers, and in January an Ecclesiastical Council was held to install Henry Sewall as pastor. Rev. David Thurston preached the sermon, Rev. Noah Cressey made the consecrating prayer, Rev. Wm. Ripley the charge, Rev. Samuel Sewall expressed the Fellow- ship of Churches, and Rev. Wm. Thurston made the concluding prayer. The sermon was afterwards printed, a copy of which I now have in my possession. His relation with the people did not prove the most happy, and he was dismissed May eleventh, eigh- teen hundred and twenty. Soon after, Mr. Charles Frost, a young man, came to the place as a candidate for settlement, and in Feb- ruary, a Council was held, consisting of the following : Rev. Daniel Gould, Dea. Hezekiah Hutchins, John W. Ellinwood, Bro. Ammi R. Mitchell, Rev. Josiah G. Merrill, Wm. Spurr, Rev. Asa Cum- mings, Jacob Mitchell, Rev. John A. Douglass, Moses Treadwell, Rev. Joseph Walker, Daniel Stowell, Rev. Allen Greely, Martin Bradford, John T. Smith, Aaron Beamen. Rev. Mr. Merrill made the introductory prayer, Rev. John W. Ellinwood preached the ser-
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HISTORY OF BETHEL.
mon, Rev. Allen Greely made the ordaining prayer, Rev. Daniel Gould gave the charge, Rev. Joseph Walker gave the right hand of fellowship, Rev. Asa Cummings gave the charge to the people, Rev. John A. Douglass made the concluding prayer The sermon was printed, of which I have a copy.
Mr. Frost commenced his ministry under favorable auspices, and he continued its successful pastor till his death in eighteen hundred and fifty, a period of thirty years. During his ministry one hundred and sixty-six persons united with the church. The church and so- ciety, as soon as convenient, made arrangements for a successor to Mr. Frost. An invitation was extended to the Rev. John H. M. Leland of Amherst, Mass., to become their pastor. A council was held July second, eighteen hundred and fifty, for that purpose and on the following day Mr. Leland was installed. The following was the order of exercises : Rev. J. S. Gray, invocation and reading of the scriptures ; Eliphalet S. Hopkins, introductory prayer ; Wm. T. Dwight, D. D., sermon ; J. W. Chickering, D. D., installing prayer and charge ; George T. Tewksbury, right hand of Fellowship ; G. E. Adams, D. D., address to the people ; Rev. David Garland, concluding prayer. Benediction by the pastor. Mr. Leland con- tinued Pastor for nearly three years, during which time the church became better organized and efficient as a body, but for various rea- sons he concluded to ask a dismission, which was granted by a council, May tenth, eighteen hundred and fifty-three.
In March following, the Church and Society extended an invita- tion to Rev. Edwin A. Buck to become their Pastor, which being accepted, he was ordained May thirty-first, eighteen hundred and fifty-four. The order of exercises was as follows : Invocation and reading of the scripture, Rev. David Garland ; introductory prayer, Rev. L. Rood ; Sermon, G. E. Adams, D. D. ; ordaining prayer, Rev. Mark Gould ; charge to the pastor, Rev. David Sewall ; fellow- ship of the church, H. D. Walker, East Abington, Massachusetts ; address to the people, A. S. Loring ; concluding prayer, D. Good- hue. Benediction by the pastor.
Mr. Buck commenced his labors as pastor under favorable auspices. He labored earnestly to advance the interests of his church and people. His pastoral visits, to which he devoted much time, were made over a large extent of territory. During his min- istry, forty-one persons united with the church, mostly by profes- sion. His labors here were too severe for so slender a constitution
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HISTORY OF BETHEL
and he received a dismission from an ecclesiastical council held Sept. twenty-first, eighteen hundred and fifty-eight, and settled in Slatersville, Rhode Island.
The last sermon preached in the old meeting house situated on the banks of the river was in February, eighteen hundred and forty- eight, by Rev. Charles Frost, from the text, "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."
MINISTERS.
The following is a complete list of ministers of the First Congre- gational church in the West Parish, since its organization October seventh, seventeen hundred and ninety-nine, to the present time. The names of ministers who supplied for only a short time are not included in this list.
Rev. Daniel Gould, Pastor, from Oct. 9, 1799, till May 3, 1809.
Rev. Valentine Little, Acting Pastor, from 1809 to 1815.
Rev. Timothy Hilliard, Acting Pastor, from 1816 to 1817.
Rev. Henry Sewall, Pastor, from July 20, 1819, to May 11, 1820.
Rev. Charles Frost, Pastor, from Feb. 20, 1822, to Feb. 11, 1850.
Rev. John H. M. Leland, Pastor, from July 2, 1850, to May 10, 1853.
Rev. Edwin A. Buck, Pastor, from May 31, 1854, till Sept. 21, 1858.
Rev. John B. Wheelwright, Acting Pastor, from April 17, 1859, to March, 1867.
Rev. Eugene H. Titus, Acting Pastor, from March 1, 1868, till June 1, 1869, and from this time Pastor, till Dec. 6, 1870.
Rev. Nahum W. Grover, Acting Pastor, from Jan. 1, 1874, till June, 1875.
Rev. Charles L. Mills, Acting Pastor, from June 1, 1877, till Aug., 1878.
Rev. S. L. Bowler, Acting Pastor, from June 1, 1879, and Pas- tor, from Oct. 30, 1879, till June, 1885.
Rev. D. Warren Hardy, Aug., 1885.
DEACONS.
The following shows the Deacons of the church since its organi- zation, with date of their election :
Ezra Twitchell, April 25, 1800.
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HISTORY OF BETHEL.
James Grover. April 25, 1800.
Samuel Barker, Oct. 4, 1805. Timothy Carter, July 7, 1817. Robbins Brown, Apr. 30, 1829. Leonard Grover, May, 1845. Elbridge Chapman, July 15, 1845.
Joshua Fanning, January, 1859. Josiah Brown, 2d, June 30, 1866. Samuel W. Kilbourne, July 3, 1872. Nathaniel T. True, April 11, 1878.
Edward P. Grover, March 4, 1880. Josiah U. Purington, March 4, 1880.
Timothy H. Chapman, January, 1890. Edward C. Chamberlain, January, 1890.
Following is a list of the names of those who were members of the first Congregational church in Bethel in eighteen hundred and eighty. A few of them were non-resident :
Nathaniel Barker,
Leonard Grover,
Mrs. John A. Twitchell,
Mary M. Grover,
Peter Grover, Francis Barker,
D. Milton Grover, Hannibal Grover, Caroline T. Grover, Catharine Grover,
Mrs. Laura Young,
Mrs. Robert A. Chapman,
Mrs. Joshua Chase, Mrs. Silas Grover,
Francis S. Chapman,
Albert L. Burbank,
Miss Ruth Messer,
Mrs. Robbins Brown,
Samuel A. Lyon, Artemas Mason, Mrs. Barbara A. Wight,
Charles Brown, Eli M. Barker,
Baxter A. Lyon, David F. Brown,
Octavia Rowe,
Mrs. Nancy Brown, Robert A. Chapman,
E. T. Russell, Frank Russell, Pinckney Burnham,
Mrs. Cynthia Russell, Almon Grover,
Samuel D. Philbrook,
Mrs. Olive Grover,
Cullen F. Walker, Abby Hapgood,
Mrs. Caleb Rowe,
Newton Grover, Wm. L. Grover,
1
James L. Dillaway,
Delphia King,
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HISTORY OF BETHEL.
Mrs. John Grover, Mrs. Nancy Barker, Benjamin Spaulding, Mrs. Abigail Grover, Mrs. Hester A. York, Miss Salome G. Twitchell, Nathaniel T. True,
Mrs. Susannah W. True,
Mrs. Gilman Chapman,
Woodsom Mason,
Mrs. Woodsom Mason,
Mrs. Agnes M. Twitchell,
Mrs. Susan J. Brooks,
Mrs. George B. Farnsworth,
Mrs. Edmund E. Holt,
Miss Lucretia Bean,
A. W. Hanson,
Geo. H. Young,
Mrs. Stephen Holt,
Mrs. Albert L. Burbank,
Mrs. Lois Frye,
Anna F. Kimball,
Alfred M. True,
Corosana B. Burnham,
Lydia A. Burnham,
Mrs. Francetta Purington,
Etta B. Libby,
Josiah U. Purington,
Samuel S. Stanley,
Kate A. Davis, Laura C. Hall,
Mrs. Mary Chapman,
Lucinda S. Godwin,
Lora H. Loud,
Mary Cummings,
Mrs. Ellen M. Barker,
Amanda A. Frye,
Mrs. Nancy E. Burnham,
Elberta E. Burnham,
Mattie M. Burnham,
Lizzie E. Lane,
Miranda B. Mason, Wm. R. Godwin, Alice B. Grover, Flora Foster, Mrs. Lucy A. Russell,
Mrs. Thomas E. Twitchell, Rebecca R. Chandler, Mrs. Hannah Chandler,
Mrs. Enoch Foster, Mrs. H. S. Cummings, Rachel Mason, Edmund P. Grover,
Henry C. Barker, Kate H. Barker,
Mary E. Twitchell,
Miss Anstress Cross, Daniel Grover, Alfred Twitchell,
Freeman Bean, Edmund E. Holt,
Samuel W. Kilburn, Mrs. Sarah Kilburn,
Miss Fannie A. Kilburn,
Charles J. Chapman,
William Foot, Sabina K. Dillaway,
Miss Ella F. Lyon, Moses F. Libby,
Caroline E. Grover, Lottie Bridge, Mrs. N. A. Harris,
Enoch W. Woodbury, Sarah L. Woodbury, Enoch Foster, Jr., Mrs. Sarah H. Grover,
Mrs. Miranda H. Town, Mrs. Abby H. Godwin, May E. Robertson, Joshua G. Rich,
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HISTORY OF BETHEL.
Sarah E. Leavitt,
Mrs. M. M. Rich,
Sarah L. Hall,
Hiram H. Wilson,
Mrs. Samuel A. M. Grover,
Mrs. Mary O. Wilson,
Abner Davis,
Florilla Richardson,
Mrs. Sarah F. Davis,
George H. Brown,
Emily E. Davis,
Mrs. Carrie A. Brown,
Mary J. Chapman,
Flora C. Richardson,
Gilbert Chapman,
John A. Morton,
Phebe A. Chapman,
Fannie A. Holt,
Mrs. Ellen O. Chase,
Mary L. Grover.
SECOND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
There was dissatisfaction at the removal of the church edifice from the river bank to Bethel Hill, which at first found expression in words and then in action. There had always been an inconven- ience in being obliged to cross the river by means of a ferry boat to attend church, when the church was on the opposite bank, and there were times in the spring of the year and during freshets, when the river was impassable. When the church was moved to the Hill, in- volving a half a mile more travel in reaching it, the people on the north side of the river demurred. In September of eighteen hun- dred and forty-eight, a petition was presented to the parent church by those living on the north side, asking for a separate organiza- tion. A vote was taken and the request granted by a large major- ity. An ecclesiastical council was called in accordance with the vote, on the thirty-first day of January, eighteen hundred and forty- nine.
The council was composed of the following persons : Ministers, Revs. Isaac Rogers, Joseph Smith, Simeon Hackett, Carlton Hurd, Jotham Sewall, Jr. and Calvin Chapman. Delegates, John Barker, Stephen Cobb and Benjamin R. Page. Rev. Isaac Rogers was chosen Moderator, and Rev. Calvin Chapman, Scribe. The coun- cil complied with the request of the petitioners and organized them into a separate church. At a meeting held by the church on the tenth day of February, Mr. Leander Jewett was chosen moderator of the meeting. Mr. Barbour Bartlett was chosen clerk of the church. Mr. Nathan F. Twitchell and Edmund Chapman were chosen deacons. The church edifice at Mayville was erected for the accommodation of the new church.
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HISTORY OF BETHEL.
REV. CALEB BRADLEY.
Parson Bradley, as he was generally called, was never settled in Bethel, but he came here and taught school, and preached here with the idea of settling, before Mr. Gould came. He was the son of Dea. Amos and Elizabeth (Page) Bradley, and was born in Dracut, Massachusetts, March twelfth, seventeen hundred and seventy-two. His great grandmother on the maternal side was the famous Han- nah (Emerson) Dustin, who was captured by the Indians, taken to Pennacook (Concord, N. H.,) where she slew her captors, and then returned to her home at Haverhill. Mr. Bradley graduated from Harvard College in seventeen hundred and ninety-five, and came to Maine that year. He spent some time in Saco, and about the year seventeen hundred and ninety-eight, he came to Bethel. For some reason not now known, he did not receive a call to settle here, and after a few months stay he went to Falmouth. In seventeen hun- dred and ninety-nine he received a call from the original fourth par- ish church in Falmouth, to become its pastor, and was inducted into that office in October of that year. He married two years after, Miss Sarah Crocker, who died in eighteen hundred and twenty-one, and he then married Mrs. Susanna (Webb) Partridge of Sacca- rappa. She also died, and he married Mrs. Abigail (Loring) Cod- man. He lived in the same house at Libby's Corner until his death, which took place June second, eighteen hundred and sixty-one, he being eighty-nine years of age. Mr. Bradley bought the place of Thomas Webster in the year eighteen hundred. It was not a new house when he bought it, but it is still standing in a good state of preservation. Mr. Bradley was noted for his sociability, and was distinguished for his wit. He was a man of piety, and honest in his convictions. His remains repose in Evergreen cemetery by the side of those of his first wife, Sarah Crocker, whom he survived forty years.
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